Hallelujah! It's been a while since I've watched a blog worthy film. This Canadian suspenseful drama/horror, is a meditation on good and evil, redemption, grief, and sin. It is remarkable debut. It's written, directed, and stars, Mark O'Brien. Shot in black and white, it felt like a Hitchcockian play. With nods to "The Exorcist," and a few other films, O'Brien has crafted a nifty piece of arthouse cinema. What's it all about? A couple has just lost their adopted daughter. The father, Fredric (played by Henry Czerny) was a priest until he met Mimi (Ethel Mason), his now wife. They live together in the countryside in a modest old house. They are grieving their daughter when a stranger, lost in the woods, shows up asking for help. The stranger is Aaron (Mark O'Brien). He is odd, young, and his manner is somewhat intimidating, yet charming; he's a mystery. Mimi falls in motherly love with him. Aaron's motives are unclear and so the tension in the little house begins to rise. Mark O'Brien's performance is extraordinary and played against Henry Czerny's, the pair reminded me of James Dean and Raymond Massey in "East of Eden." - well done gentlemen. Mark O'Brien, this is a name to watch for. Catch "The Righteous" at your local rep cinema.
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